Crystal Palace and Brighton were spearheaded by two masters in the art of the centre forward’s craft.
Jean-Philippe Mateta and Danny Welbeck have shone this season, boasting a dozen Premier League goals between them.
And yet, defenders won the day at Selhurst Park and none more impressive then Jaydee Canvot.
Daily Mail Sport’s MATT BARLOW was at Selhurst Park and ran the rule over the biggest talking points after a goalless draw in south London…
Jean-Philippe Mateta was unable to add to his six league goals against a resolute Brighton
Danny Welbeck led the line against a Marc Guehi-less Palace defence but also failed to score
Selhurst Park fell quiet for a Remembrance Sunday minute’s silence before the match began
Canvot steps up
Crystal Palace won a race with Aston Villa to sign promising centre half Canvot from Toulouse in the summer in a deal worth up to £23million, and the 19-year-old was central to Glasner’s case for not selling Marc Guehi to Liverpool on deadline day.
The Palace boss told chairman Steven Parish that without Guehi – and without time to sign a replacement after Igor Julio snubbed them to join West Ham from Brighton – he would be forced to rely upon Canvot, exposing the young talent to the demands of the Premier League before he was proven or ready for the step.
Glasner won the argument and Canvot has had time to acclimatise into English football without the glare of the spotlight. When the time came to step into Guehi’s shoes, however, he did it with style.
Canvot, promoted to win his first cap for France U21s last month, replaced the Palace captain who missed his first game of the season with a foot injury picked up in the final seconds of the Europa Conference tie against AZ Alkmaar on Thursday.
Canvot made his first Premier League start on the left side of the Palace back three. He performed with maturity beyond his years. Comfortable in possession, he showed he can read the game, made good decisions, passed the ball simply and without fuss. He also coped well with the threat of Yakuba Minteh rolling inside from Brighton’s right wing.
When Guehi does eventually depart, most probably for Liverpool at the end of the season when his contract expires, Palace might think they already have his replacement in the club, and much better for the experience of a season on the fringes.
Jaydee Canvot was imperious at the heart of the Crystal Palace defence at Selhurst Park
Oliver Glasner was visibly animated as his side failed to score in front of a packed home crowd
VAR at its best
Canvot was in the thick of things when referee Tim Robinson awarded Brighton a penalty in the 62nd minute. Georginio Rutter tumbled on the run inside the Palace penalty box as he squeezed between the teenager and Adam Wharton.
Contact was minimal, though and Robinson was sent to the pitchside monitor to study replays before he overturned his decision because Rutter had initiated the contact. Ultimately, it was the correct decision and Rutter received a yellow card for his attempts to deceive.
Midfield tussle
The tussle between two of the Premier League’s most exciting midfield prospects did not ignite as anticipated. Adam Wharton and Carlos Belba are in the sights of Europe’s elite but here there were only flashes of their quality.
Wharton perhaps edged the duel, sparkling early on, catching the eye with his effortless passing range but he was also caught in possession at the end of the first half, launching Brighton on a counter wasted by Minteh. Just back from illness, he faded, as did Palace.
Baleba, who has not recaptured last season’s form since summer interest from Manchester United, mixed up the good and bad. There were glimpses of what he can do, his powerful presence and also errors on the ball.
Brighton’s understated Yasin Ayari was the pick of those in central midfield.
Referee Tim Robinson booked Georginio Rutter for simulation after falling in the Palace box
The official had been sent to the VAR monitor after initially awarding Brighton a penalty
Weary Palace
Bart Verbruggen made the two best saves of the game. One near the start from Ismaila Sarr and one near the end from Yeremy Pino. And yet Palace looked like the team with extra miles in their legs. They have played five games more than Brighton this season, coming into this game after a Europa Conference tie on Thursday.
It was the visitors, also with a decent range of options on the bench, who summoned the stronger finish, pushing the hardest to find a winner in the closing stages.
But the Palace defences were strong enough to hold. Brighton have not won at Selhurst since 2019.
